I’ve tried several things and found that foam core works best. (We tried cardboard, but it wasn’t very stable.) I cut the foam core to the size I want, put a layer of batting on top, and then the fabric. I use duct tape to adhere the fabric securely in place on the back of the board (it doesn’t look very pretty, but it sticks nicely), and then I hand stitch the buttons in place on the front where the ribbons intersect.

Where did you get the crystals that you used on your jewelry?

Those were just crystals I had from an old antique chandelier. I pick crystals up when I’m antiquing—they’re usually only 50 cents or $1. You can find glass ones, plastic ones, all kinds of varieties. They come in handy all the time!

What size frame did you use for the Friend artwork in the Shelli Signature Collection blog?

It was an 8 x 10 frame.

You always look so great! How do you stay in such great shape?

I don’t know that I’m in such great shape (but thanks!). I do exercise whenever I can. I love yoga, and when I can’t do that, I fast walk (jogging is too hard on my back and knees) on a treadmill or around the neighborhood.

I also watch what I eat. I love to eat, and I can’t imagine giving up sweets and treats—life is too short! So I concentrate on portion size, keeping everything small. It’s all about quantity!

I also almost always put on make-up and do my hair, even if I’m just going to be hanging out around the house or outside gardening. My mother and grandmother taught me that when I was growing up—to always look my best, even when I wasn’t going anywhere special. I stick pretty close to the philosophy.

Do you have a pattern for the doily that is under the vase in the photo that you showed on the “Country BBQ” blog?

Unfortunately no. I didn’t make that.I have more doilies than I can count; again, I pick those up when I’m antiquing. Most of them are tea-stained and worn, which I love!

All I can say is that those who are coming to convention will find out more about this very fun, exciting product!

I have a demonstrator, but she doesn’t hold any events. Is it offensive to find another demonstrator?

In a perfect world, all our demonstrators would be holding all kinds of workshops and events. (smile) We encourage our demonstrators to hold regular events, but they are in charge of their own businesses. That flexibility is one of the significant advantages Stampin’ Up! offers its demonstrators, but it also means that demonstrators offer a wide range of events.

I would hope that you’d contact your demonstrator first and express your interest in attending any events she holds. Let her know you’re looking for her help. If she chooses not to schedule an event, of course you need to find support where you can, and I’m sure she’ll understand that. I certainly do.

There were several IT questions, including the following:

When I pull up your website, the text runs over the header. Can you fix that?

We occasionally hear this comment, and every time we do, we have several people call up the site, and it pulls up fine. The problem seems to be related to the browser, and we can’t control that. I’m so sorry. You may want to see if there is an updated version of the browser you are using, and that might correct the problem.

When your blog shows up in reader, it is titled “Blog,” not “SoShelli.” Could you fix that?

Our IT gurus have changed it. It should now show up as "SoShelli blog."

Would you consider changing your blog from summary feed to full feed so that I can see the pictures in Google Reader?

We researched this before starting the blog and found that it’s more common to have the summary feed. Of course, there are those who like the full feed better; it's one of those subjective things. After discussing this with our IT gurus, we decided to keep it as it is for now. But thank you for your suggestion!